Havre kids back in school

Havre  students went back to school Wednesday as the first day of the 2016-17 school year came and went without any bumps.

Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson had a busy day as he visited with students in all the Havre public schools.

"It was a long day, but it was a great day. No major bumps," Carlson said this morning.

One major change that will be implemented next year will be regarding school phone numbers. All the public schools will transition from 265 prefix numbers to 395. Right now, the schools are paying for both numbers. Either number will dial the school.

But starting in January, only the 395 numbers will work. The new numbers are listed on the school's website as well as on school cards.

One thing that isn't changing is trend of declining enrollment.

Carlson said 1,853 students are enrolled in K-12.

"That's the lowest we've started school with," he said.

He said only three classes have 150 students or more - fifth, sixth and 10th.

The largest student population at the elementary schools is at Lincoln-McKinley Primary School, and even those aren't impressive numbers, Carlson said.

Nothing indicates the numbers will be rising anytime soon.

"Unless we have a major event, I don't see it trending upward," he said.

Several factors have contributed to low student numbers - smaller families, larger farms with fewer needed workers, lack of housing, Carlson said.

The district, however, has planned accordingly.

"We've made smart staffing decisions, smart facility decisions - we're good," he said.